Do I Miss a Rak‘a if I Join After the Imam Bowed (Ruku)?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
If I join the imam while he is standing after ruku‘ in the first rak‘a, do I need to make up a rak‘a at the end of the prayer?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
If you join the imam after he has risen from the bowing (ruku‘) in the first cycle (rak‘a), you have not caught that cycle, according to the Hanafi school. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
This is based on the following narration from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):
“If the Imam raises his head before you bow, you have missed the cycle (rak‘a)” [‘Abd al-Razzaq, Musannaf]
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching for ways to learn Islam reliably and was disappointed at the answers he found locally.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
